Real Madrid put their 100% record on the line as they travel to the Estadio Civitas Metropolitano for a derby clash against Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos have found a way to grind out results in recent weeks and given their recent results in this fixture, should have the edge over their local rivals once again.
It has been an erratic start to the season for Atletico Madrid, who have claimed two wins and played out one draw from four La Liga matches so far. They are currently seventh on the standings and will want to find the spark to jumpstart their campaign.
Atletico Madrid head into Thursday’s clash off the back of a 3-0 defeat to Valencia in their previous La Liga fixture. They also failed to win in their Champions League opener in midweek, playing out a 1-1 draw with Serie A side Lazio.
Manager Diego Simeone has plenty of injury problems at the moment with as much as seven players currently sidelined. With regulars like Memphis Depay, Koke and Rodrigo de Paul among the players missing, Atletico Madrid may come up short against the leaders.
Real Madrid have enjoyed a much better start to the campaign as they are the only side with a 100% record after four matches. They have not been overly spectacular but are constantly finding ways to win, grinding out late results more than once already so far.
Los Blancos needed one of such results in midweek as a late effort from Jude Bellingham earned them a 1-0 victory over Union Berlin. That result followed a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad in their previous La Liga fixture.
While it has undoubtedly been a superb start to the season for Real Madrid, their defence has looked a bit vulnerable so far. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have kept just one clean sheet this season and have also been forced to come from behind in three of their four matches so far.
How the bookies view it
Real Madrid have a slight edge among the bookies and are priced at 8/5 by Betfred to claim the win on Sunday. A victory for Atletico Madrid is valued at 15/8 with BetVictor while William Hill is offering odds of 12/5 for a draw.
Head to head
Real Madrid have a 41-13 advantage with 21 draws from 75 previous matches against Atletico Madrid. Los Blancos are also unbeaten in seven of the last eight fixtures and claimed a 2-1 win in their last visit to the Estadio Metropolitano.
Players to watch
Alvaro Morata has made a fine start to the season, scoring three goals in four La Liga appearances so far. The striker will be keen to get one over on his former club and is priced at 12/5 by William Hill to find the net on Sunday.
Jude Bellingham remains the biggest goal threat for Real Madrid and has costly bailed out Los Blancos with late goals. The midfielder has six goals across all competitions this season and is priced at 3/1 by William Hill to find the net.
Anything else catch the eye?
There have been goals for both teams in their last three meetings and a similar outcome is priced at 3/4 by bet365. The last meeting at the Metropolitano produced over 2.5 goals which is priced at evens with BetVictor while over 3.5 goals can also be considered at 13/5 with Paddy Power.
Real Madrid have made a habit of winning from behind this season and Sunday’s clash could be tipped to follow a similar pattern.
This La Liga match between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid will be played on Sep 24, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Atletico Madrid vs Real Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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